Quiegolani Zapotec Syntax: a Principles and Parameters Account (Sil International and the University of Texas at Arlington Publications in Linguistics, Vol.136)

The reader of Quiegolani Zapotec Syntax will find a careful syntactic analysis of this language, presented descriptively and with a theoretical analysis.

In the three sections of the book, Cheryl Black provides a coherent, explanatory analysis for many facets of the syntax of this VSO language. Part I describes the morphology and syntax, as well as anaphoric relations. Parts II and III provide a theoretical analysis of the various syntactic constructions, utilizing a Principles and Parameters approach. Part II examines clause structure, including focus and topic constructions, interrogatives, negative constructions, and their interactions. Part III extends the analysis to phrase structures such as verbal and nominal phrases. The final chapter demonstrates that the special quantifier constructions that mark number in the language exhibit the same basic principles and structures as the rest of the grammar, showing that a small number of principles or constraints can determine the full grammar of a language.

Quiegolani Zapotec is an Otomanguean language spoken in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. This language family has received relatively little attention by syntacticians, making Dr. Black's work especially valuable. Theoretical linguists, as well as those mainly interested in description and typology, will find it of interest.

Table of Contents

Preface
Abbreviations and Symbols
Map

1. Introduction
The data
Theoretical assumptions

Part I: Grammatical Sketch

2. Morphology
Nominal morphology
Verbal morphology
Pronouns

3. Syntax
Basic VSO word order
Sentences expressing states or existence
Constructions involving changes in argument structure
Changes in word order due to movement

4. Anaphoric or Binding Relations
Principles A and B: Distinguishing anaphors from pronouns
Principle C: Binding restrictions on nominal phrases

Part II: Clause Structure and A-Dependencies

5. Theoretical Issues
5.1 How many functional projections are necessary?
5.2 How VSO word order is obtained

6. Focus and Topic Constructions
6.1 Focus versus topic syntactically and semantically
6.2 The focus marker
6.3 The phrase structure of focus constructions

7. Questions and Relative Clauses
7.1 Question formation and the Wh-Criterion
7.2 The structure of CP[+Wh]
7.3 Relative clauses

8. Constructions Involving Negation
The Zapotecan languages are Negative Concord languages
Analysis of the obligatory fronting
The negation constructions and Verb Movement versus Subject Adjunction

9. Interaction Between the Various A-Constructions
Questions and focus constructions may not co-occur in a clause
Relative positions of wh-phrases and negative phrases
Relative positions of focused phrases and negative phrases
Polarity phrase needed to account for clausal coordination
Proposed clause structure for QZ

Part III: Phrase Structure and Constituent Constructions

10. Structure of Verb Phrases and Nonverbal Predicates
The structure of VP
The structure of nonverbal predicates

11. Structure of Nominal PhrasesThe DP structures parallel to the clause structure proposals
Proposed DP structure for QZ
Attested coordination within DP

12. Special Number-Marking Constructions
Semantic interpretation
Syntactic analysis of the contiguous structure
Analysis of the separated construction

Appendix: A Parametric Account of Question Formation
The Wh-Criterion alone is not sufficient
Parameterization of the wh-scope positions
Wh-chains account for partial wh-movement

References
Index